Office Update on the Cheap...

I love Mid-Century Modern design mixed with eclectic explosions of expression in various forms. We have been doing various projects and remodeling around our house the past year... all of it on the cheap! ...I have been looking forward to updating an office space for myself, switching to my son's old room, and having some fun building around a great mid-century, patterned couch that I found locally for $50! It has fold down arms and converts into a bed, as well as just being hella cool! We live in the house that my parents built when I was a teenager, so this also happens to be my old room in high school and is actually really small. I have yet to create art for one wall, but here are the results so far...

My awesome locally found, $50 mid-century modern couch!
All pillows and curtains I made. I love to mix patterns and fabrics!

The dresser has been mine since I was a baby (my Mom changed me on it!)
My son used it after me (I changed him on it!) and now I am using it again.
Love.

The chandelier was pulled out of a friends house when they remodeled = free.
A bit of paint and TLC... YES!

$10 sale blanket + rubber shelf backing = cheap, awesome "carpet"!
Vintage yellow pottery bowl from my Grandmother.
Old army chest that was my husband's Grandfathers.
Again,... Love.

Various re-purposed furniture from around our home.
I LOVE chrome spray paint!

Modern chrome and yellow chairs scored locally by my sister for $40!!
Globe I made... spray painted white and then "LOVE makes the world go 'round" added.
Vintage wood block art scored at an auction for $20,
Hand drawn art, a gift from a friend. <3

Striping tape is SO awesome! No worrying about taping off and painting lines,
AND if you get tired of it? Pull it off and do something else!

Madeira Alfredo Florentine with chicken and heirloom tomatoes, topped with mushrooms and figs, yum!

Dinner at The Tree House AKA Home...
Madeira Alfredo Florentine with chicken and heirloom tomatoes, topped with mushrooms and figs, and a splash of balsamic (gluten-free). AKA... let's make up a recipe like we do almost every night right before dinner.

Gluten free brown rice pasta, boil in salted water as the below is cooking...

2-3 cut up, chicken thighs, sauteed in EV olive oil add...

Madeira about 1/2 cup, cook chicken for a bit then add...

Cream cook until bubbling and starts to thicken, add...

Spinach and

Heirloom tomatoes and

Fresh Garlic and

Grated Parmesan and

Salt and Pepper... 

cook for about 5 minutes more...

Drain pasta and add to the sauce (instead of the other way around).

Serve topped with sauteed mushrooms, fresh figs, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Super easy and only takes about 20 minutes!

Rae's Chocolate-y Chocolate Cake - Gluten Free! (with dairy free option!)

Here is my gluten-free Chocolate-y Chocolate Cake recipe I made up ...just because sometimes you have to have chocolate cake! This is a wonderful cake with dairy free options, as well as a brownie conversion and filling options as well.

Rae's GF Chocolate-y Chocolate Cake:                                                      Oven:  *350  

1 stick softened butter (to make dairy free use all expeller pressed coconut oil instead)
1/2 cup expeller pressed coconut oil
1 1/2 cups rapadura (coconut palm sugar, or sugar)
3 TBLS organic pure maple syrup
stir until combined
add:
3 eggs
stir
add
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups Pamela's GF Baking mix 
(You can use the GF baking mix of your choice but I highly recommend this one for this recipe)
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
lightly stir and add:
Approx. 2 cups almond milk (or milk of your choice)
add enough milk to make the consistency of cake batter... not too thick, not to watery.

Bake in the pan of your choice. I like a 10" spring form lined with parchment on the bottom and greased on the sides... it comes out beautifully. If you don't use parchment, grease and "flour" with a generous amount of cocoa powder. Bake at *350 until JUST set (this means the center does not wiggle when you shake it). Approx. 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven. Do not use the toothpick method, you may over cook if the pick comes out clean. Allow to cool about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a baking rack (or if in a rectangle glass baking pan, you can leave it in and frost as is).
*For brownies, eliminate the almond milk and the baking powder, add an extra 1/2 tsp of baking soda.
Bake at 350* until you start to smell them and they are not jiggly... do not over bake!

I like to put the cake in the freezer for a while before moving to the next steps. Once cooled, use a serrated knife to split in half through the center.

Add whipped cream (save about a half cup or so to decorate the top):
1 pint organic whipping cream
3-4 TBSP organic pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp organic vanilla
pinch salt
Add fresh fruit like bananas, blueberries, strawberries or raspberries on the whipped dream layer and save a few for garnishing the top as well!

*Alternate recipes:
-Use your favorite jam, like raspberry, strawberry or blackberry instead of whipped cream for a dairy free option OR mix jam into the whipped cream as well... garnish with the same fruit as the jam.
-Leave out the fresh fruit and instead add peppermint extract to both the cake and the whipped cream, garnish -with mint. 
-Use virgin coconut oil instead of expeller pressed coconut oil for a chocolate coconut version. Add 2 TBSP melted virgin coconut oil into the whipped cream when you whip it. Garnish with toasted coconut... add 1-2 TBSP virgin coconut oil to your pan before toasting coconut for an extra coconut flavor boost! 

Ganache Frosting -
3 cups organic chocolate chips
3/4 cups organic cream
1 TBLS coconut oil
pinch of salt
Melt together stirring until nice and glossy. Spoon onto top of cake allowing some to drip over the sides. YUM! :)

OR:
Optional traditional frosting:
1 1/2 - 2 cups organic powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp organic cornstarch
1 stick softened butter (for dairy free use coconut oil)
1/2 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
milk to soften to desired consistency, start with 3 TBSP.
Mix.

Flourless Chocolate Mousse Cake

So last night's adventure into healthy dessert baking: 
Flourless Chocolate Mousse Cake - Scrumptious! 
(This recipe makes a 6" pan but can be doubled for a 9" spring-form pan)

Flourless Chocolate Mousse Cake 

Ingredients:


1 can chilled coconut solids *
1 cup cocoa powder (organic, raw is best)
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
2tsp vanilla
3/4 c real maple syrup
2 eggs




Whip coconut solids with mixer until slightly fluffy, gently add cocoa powder stiring lightly at first. Add salt and vanilla, mix well. Add maple syrup and whip for about 1 minute. Add eggs 1 at a time mixing for about 30 seconds after each. Pour into a prepared pan - buttered, using cocoa powder instead of flour.


Bake at 350* for approx. in a water bath (put cake pan in a bigger pan filled half way with boiling water) for 35-40 minutes or until the top looks set and fairly dry.
Cool overnight in the fridge, serve with a dusting of cocoa powder. 


*chill a can of coconut milk 24 hours, the "juice" will separate from the "solids", use the liquid for another recipe.

Homemade Citrus-Orange Laundry Soap (no Borax!)

Here is my recipe for homemade laundry soap. It's easy, economical and enviro-friendly!
1 bar of soap - grated
4 c. washing soda
2 c. baking soda
1 c. white vinegar
1 tsp. orange essential oil
1 Tbsp. liquid citrus orange castile soap 
(like Dr.Bronner's)
8-10 c. hot water

Heat slightly in a large pot on the stove for a few minutes, turn off heat and mix with a whisk or preferably an electric hand mixer. Pour into container of your choice. 


*This will be a very concentrated "paste" to make it more like regular laundry soap, add about 5 gallons of water. I like to make a batch of concentrate, keep it in one container and then in a separate container (an old detergent bottle) make a thin batch with the extra water. I can then avoid having a 5 gallon bucket of detergent, but I can still have a large batch made AND a container of more "liquid" laundry soap. I do give the bottle a shake before using as well


*To make an even easier powdered version, simply omit the water and vinegar. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Delicious!

Deconstructed Salad - Tuna, organic avocado, sunflower sprouts, heirloom tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic and fresh basil, soaked/ sprouted almonds, raw/organic cheddar, soft goat cheese and lacto-fermented cabbage. YUMMY!

Cute, cost-effective, earth happy

The CUTEST handmade, reusable snack bags!

...and more here

I am sneaking back into blogging, just a bit at a time. Sometimes life just happens to come along and well... you stop blogging. Here I am again, testing the waters. I thought I would do something simple like posting these amazingly awesome, enviro-friendly, cute to boot, handmade snack bags, made to order by a friend's daughter. Her business is called  "Evelyn Fields". Click on the photo to visit her Etsy site and see more.

I Iove the blend of creativity, craftsmanship, home-arts, eco-consciousness, cost-effectiveness and fun all rolled into this idea. What an awesome thing to be able to carry your snacks (or your kids snacks) around in such a lovingly crafted bag. (I bet the love put into these even passes into the food a little!)